A doctor-to-the barrios alumnus, Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas, was shot dead by an unknown assailant in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, while riding his motorcycle on his way home to his boarding house in Maranding (an adjacent town) from a medical mission on Wednesday, March 1.

The motive of the killing is still unknown. Robbery was ruled out because none of his belongings were missing, according to police. Investigation by the authorities is still on going.

He started serving Sapad, a remote area in Lanao del Norte, in 2012 under the Doctors-to-the-Barrios (DTTB) program of the Department of Health (DOH). After his contract ends in 2014, he chose to stay to serve the locals and became the municipal health officer. He is from Aklan.

Dr. Perlas was hailed a hero in Sapad for helping to improve the healthcare services in the area. His constituents describe him as “madaling lapitan”. He was willing to serve even beyond his bound of duty.

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The whole DTTB, medical community, his area of assignment, his friends and family mourn for his senseless and untimely demise. Messages of support and condolences to Perlas family started pouring on social media.

Justice for Dr. Perlas is called out by his friends and families.

The Doctors-to-the-Barrios is a program of the DOH which aims to deploy doctors in hard to reach communities in the Philippines for a 2-year contract.